A Miami-area elected official is facing calls to resign after writing on social media that conservative activist Charlie Kirk was a "fitting sacrifice" to gun manufacturers following Kirk’s assassination earlier this week.
Steve Cody, a councilman in the Village of Palmetto Bay, posted on Facebook that "Charlie Kirk is a fitting sacrifice to our Lords: Smith & Wesson. Hallowed be their names." The comment drew sharp backlash from residents, municipal leaders and state officials, who said the remark was incompatible with the responsibilities of an elected official.
Dozens of residents gathered outside Palmetto Bay City Hall on Friday to demand Cody’s resignation. "The damage has already been done. It’s not a question of left or right. This is immoral and it shows which side he is on," resident Chad Heffernan told the local CBS affiliate during the demonstration.
Cody told the station he regretted the post and said he would not resign, noting he is term‑limited and intends to remain on the council through 2028. "If I had thought about it longer, I probably would have just kept that thought to myself," he said. "It was something that I regretted doing … only after it was out, that I realized the pain it would cause not just to Charlie Kirk’s family and friends, but to a much wider community, and that was not my intent."
Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham said Cody’s words were inconsistent with the conduct expected of elected officials. "I find the post itself not fitting of the village of Palmetto Bay as elected officials. We are held to, I think, a higher bar," Cunningham said, adding that she could not support him and that it would be in the community’s interest to "pivot in a different direction."
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier posted on X that, if the Facebook post was legitimate, Cody "should resign from his position as Palmetto Bay Council member immediately." Several elected officials and commentators publicly condemned the remark.
The post came after a shooting Wednesday at Utah Valley University during an event featuring Kirk. Law enforcement officials arrested a 22‑year‑old Utah resident, identified by authorities as Tyler Robinson, on Friday in connection with the killing, according to police statements. Investigators have said the suspect was taken into custody following a multi‑agency response; formal charges were expected as the investigation continued.
The shooting has prompted widespread discussion about political rhetoric and public safety. Several prominent Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez (D‑N.Y.), Sen. Chris Murphy (D‑Conn.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D‑Md.), said the polarized environment in national politics, and rhetoric from former President Donald Trump and others, contributes to a climate that can produce violence, while stopping short of directly blaming any individual for the slaying.
Some commentators and media figures who reacted strongly to the killing also faced repercussions. MSNBC parted ways with analyst Matthew Dowd after he said of Kirk, "You cannot harbor these dreadful thoughts and express them without anticipating dreadful actions to follow. This unfortunate environment is where we find ourselves." Several other public figures from across the political spectrum criticized violent or celebratory responses to the killing.
Local officials and residents said Cody’s remark compounded community pain after the killing. The Palmetto Bay councilman’s statement referencing Smith & Wesson, a prominent firearms manufacturer, drew particular ire as many called the language callous in the wake of a fatal shooting. City leaders said they were evaluating options for responding to the post while maintaining municipal governance.
The incident underscores the broader national debate over political speech and accountability for public officials. The New York Post and local outlets reported on the post and the reaction; efforts to reach Cody for additional comment were reported as ongoing.